Energy transition and the role of Development Banks in South Asia

The war in Iran, like the invasion of Ukraine before, has exposed the consequences of fossil fuel dependence: rising energy costs, energy emergencies and supply chain disruptions. Most affected are emerging markets and developing nations. It is high time to change direction and direct all support towards an energy transition away from fossil fuels.

The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) invest their member states’ public funds to reduce global poverty (WB/ADB) and to promote sustainable development and prosperity (AIIB).  This April, at the World Bank’s Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., it was decided to scrap the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). All three banks continue to fund fossils; even worse, the World Bank and ADB have also opened the door to nuclear energy finance.

Germany is fourth biggest shareholder in the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and it thus an important decision maker on the policies of those development banks.

The panel discussion will bring together environmental experts and activists from India, Bangladesh and Indonesia with policy makers from Germany to showcase practical experiences with energy projects funded by development banks in their respective countries and to discuss the role of the shareholders in the decision-making process of the banks.

Agenda:

18:30 Welcome remarks

• Jost Pachaly, Head of Asia Division

18:45 Panel Discussion

• Vidya Dinker, President of the Indian Social Action Forums (INSAF)
• Hasan Mehedi, Member of the Regional Infrastructure Monitoring Alliance (RIMA)
• Jürgen Zattler, former Executiv Director at Worldbank, and Director General at BMZ, Non-resident fellow at Center for Global Development and IDOS

20:00 Reception with cold beverages and pretzels

Contact: 

Christina Rode

E rode@boell.de

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register. Unfortunately, the number of places is limited. If the room capacity is exhausted, we will broadcast the event via video to other rooms. Please note that there is no guarantee of a place in the hall.

Accessing our building

• The entrance to our building is wheelchair-friendly.
• The front entrance is equipped with an accessible intercom system.
• A parking spot for disabled persons can be provided upon request.
• Our event space is on the first floor (US: second floor).
• The building is equipped with an elevator.
• Accessible toilets / bathrooms are available on the ground floor level.

Wheelchair spaces
In our event spaces we provide dedicated spots for wheelchair users. All tables come with a wheelchair clearance.

For further questions please contact our event staff.
Further information on accessibility can be found here.

» Livestream
Alternatively, you can follow the event via livestream without registering.